Narrow roads + Oncoming traffic = Stressed driver: Two Aussie's travel the world

in #travelfeed6 years ago

Australia's a big country, that's reasonably common knowledge around the globe I guess. England is comparatively small...Ok, so who are we kidding? In comparison to Australia it's bloody small! I read somewhere that 31 England's can fit into the land mass of Australia which is quite interesting considering England has a population of some seventy million people and Australia has just twenty four million or so. Anyway, this isn't a post about who has a bigger thingy, them or us...It's a post about the English roads! OK OK, I'll get to the point...

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The image you see above is my wife, Faith, who is standing in the middle of an English country road. Yes, it's only one lane wide, and a small lane at that! This is not a one way road though, traffic flows in both directions at the same time. Now, you're probably thinking I have found the narrowest road in the country to photograph and that there's this one little road, the only of its kind...You'd be wrong though! These roads are very common and all over the place. I don't know why roads are so narrow here, maybe the fact the country is so old and they were made so long ago. I don't think a farmer would appreciate losing precious farming land to road-widening.

We've been driving around Cornwall, Devon and Somerset county's and once off the A-Road's have been on many B-Road's and unclassified roads like this one also. A-Road's have a single or dual carriageway with a speed limit of 60 and 70 miles respectively and B-Roads a single lane in each direction, (not always with a white line in the middle or wide enough for two cars to pass by). The unclassified roads are even narrower as you can see. To make matters worse there is no verge to either side of the road, no run-off area and no room for error. See in the image how the greenery forms a wall? Well, those walls run for hundreds of miles on either side of the road and behind the wall of foliage is, well, a bloody stone wall; One you definitely do not want to hit. I believe the stone walls started because hundreds of years ago farmers needed somewhere to clear the rocks off the fields and what better place for them than road walls along the dirt tracks and lanes? This is probably why they are so narrow also.

Driving here can be like driving in a tunnel with no roof as the walls to either side close one in and do not leave a lot of vision ahead due to the winding nature of the roads. Passing oncoming traffic is a nightmare too. Once you see an oncoming car, tractor, motor-home, bus or whatever you, (or them), need to pull into a depression in the road/wall to allow them to squeezy by (if possible). Sometimes these depressions are hardly perceptible. Once snugged tight up to the wall, as close into the foliage as possibly without scraping the car on the stone work, both cars creep along in opposite directions trying not to hit each other. It helps if you fold the side mirrors in. Trust me on that one.

The closest I have come is about 2 centimetres between my car and the other; No I am not exaggerating, I had my window down and checked as they squeezed by. On several occasions I've had to back up about 100 metres and into a depressions to let someone by who could not find a depression, or vice versa. Backing up with walls either side, uphill and around a corner from which another car may emerge can be tricky. Trust me on that one too.

Having said all of this the whole process seems to work. Sure it's slow at times and there's more than a little stress as well. But it works.

Today we drove a total 78 mile trip to Dunster Castle and back with 22 miles of that being on a very small B-Road where we had multiple blockages, and foliage brushing the sides of the car as we went. We got there and back safely but it took time and for a couple of Aussie's used to doing 110kph on country roads and hardly ever having to hit the brakes it's an exercise in patience and a test of driving skills!

I can only imagine the chaos it would cause if someone broke down on one of these roads; There would be absolutely no way to get by a broken down vehicle. I don't know how it works, but seemingly it does. Also, attempting to plot a journey around these roads, not using them I mean, is not going to work as they are the access roads to many of England's attractions, towns and of course homes. I followed a guy out of Castle Drogo who was driving a brand new convertible Jaguar F-Type and he had to navigate the same roads I did pushing the Jaguar just as close into the foliage, sticks and branches that I did in my rental Vauxhall Insignia...He didn't seem to mind though. He really had no choice like the rest of us.

Anyway, we're back on the road tomorrow heading to Wells after a two night stay in Bideford. It's mainly A-Roads and Motorway tomorrow with a brief section of minor road to Knightshayes, a Gothic-Victorian mansion we will visit on the way to Glastonbury Tor. Should be an adventure I think.

Thanks for reading and following.

Faith & Galen x

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Oh say hi to the Tor for me. 💚💚💚 Good pastries at Burns the Bread. Those roads are craaaazzzy.... you get used to them after living there for a while. Easier in winter with less foliage but then you've got mud and ice...😂😂😂 Wells is a gorgeous little town. We used to frequent there as we lived quite nearby. Making me miss it.

We really like Wells. Spent some time last night walking around at about 7-8pm. Lovely sunlight on the cathedral! A nice little place. We’re staying at Beryl Country House which is simply stunning and looking forward to some more exploration today. by the way, I said hi to the Tor for you. :)

Haha, never saw that before...So funny. We were at Minehead yesterday, it’s a couple miles from Dunster and Dunster Castle! Thanks Matt!

It's interesting to read about England from an outsider's perspective.

If you break down in England people will help you to push the car to somewhere out of the way and safe until it can be fixed or towed. Same with minor accidents. The priority is to get the cars out of the way so you're not a nuisance to others going about their business.

We figured something like that happened. We’ve really liked engaging with the people here. They have been friendly and happy to have a chat and a laugh. I’ve got some good stories to tell for sure!

We have footpaths wider then that road.

Exactly what I said to some locals!

What did they think about that?

Probably thought : Go back to Australia hahaha 😂😂😂😂

They are all pretty good. As soon as they find out we’re Aussie’s they want to know about Australia and ask us all sorts of questions. They are cheeky too and so when I said about our footpaths being wider the guy asked if they were paved or still dirt! I said dirt. :)

Thanks for your comments @riverflows and @j85063

We still have paved footpaths that are wider.

I'd say we didn't have roads, only kangaroo paths as we rode them as we didn't have cars 😂 nothing like banter between the English and Aussies...

We love the banter! :)

ahah I remember when we were in Ireland those tiny roads sometimes we would be in and add to this when they are very hilly and you don't actually know what's behind the slope...A car, a gap...a sheep :-)
They are beautiful nonetheless but there is indeed nowhere as many space as the roads have in Australia! Japan was another country we found the streets were tiny, but they have cars made for it like in Italy lol

I agree, the countryside is beautiful. The roads are an experience one needs to have to see the countryside all it’s glory. Such beautiful country! Haven’t been to Ireland but it’s on the list. Speaking of sheep we came across them in Dartmoor, and also Dartmoor pony’s wandering on the roads. That was cool!

Thanks for your reply.

I think roads are always something that mark our travels, when you think of the tiny roads in the city in Japan where we were glad we didn't drive, the hilly road in Ireland, the sheeps crossing them in NZ as well, the heavy trafficked raod in Bali, the bumpy dirt roads in Vanuatu ahaha so cool

Agreed. The paths we travel are not always smooth and comfortable.

Agreed. The paths we
Travel are not always smooth
And comfortable.

                 - galenkp


I'm a bot. I detect haiku.

My god! Imagine having your land cruiser over there it would be a nightmare 😂

Haha...No LC’s here mate, it’d have no doors after a few miles! Having said that, I’ve seen the occasional bigger car and they squeeze through all the same. They drive motor homes through these roads. Seriously. Came across one from Denmark yesterday. It had to back up for 300m to let me though. Crazy shit dude!

good post my dear friend ...

Can you smell the elder flowers that are out this time of year? i miss that smell.... Try and squeeze in a pint of scrumpy while your down that way - not the clear commercial stuff at 7 % the cloudy stuff with chunks of apple in that you finish with a spoon, it's a challenge to find now days - we would get a pint in at the smugglers den before fishing - and look for a beer called Monkey Bone at 9 % - it makes one leg longer than the other :) Have fun on those roads - and look out for tractor trailers crossing between fields - especially when its dark they can catch you out - stay safe.

Hey mate, the smell, the air in general, is so fresh. The wildflowers everywhere are amazing. We really like it here in the countryside. Only spent a couple of days in London and are avoiding cities where we can. Love the English countryside! Except the roads :)

I got into some Scrumpy’s in Cornwall. Didn’t come across the chunky apple one though.

Oh aye miss a scrumpy... I've had some like paint thinner that makes your vision go all funny after one.. great stuff

Thar be our bunty - all chuntled grunty yee be :) Just look out for Trevor, he has 2 lazy eyes and no teeth - sells Turps mixed with apple juice to tourists... LOL

When we lived in Zummerset we used to go to a out the way pub and the guy there was 342 years old and gave you orange zider that made you feel like you were acid tripping. The only words ee said were 'There you go'. Obvipusly we went back. Often.

Ha, ha, ha. @galenkp.

I'm a Brit and I still can't work out how those coaches get down those roads in Devon and Cornwall. It's mind boggling. But, as you say, it seems to work.

Did you try the pasty in Boscastle? 😁

Would you judge me if I said I actually had two in Boscastle...Well, I ate one there and took the other to Tintagel with me...Ate it there. :) No judgements! :)

No judgements at all @glalenkp. I'm delighted you enjoyed them so much. Did you go for the HP sauce option too? 😊

I’m a red sauce guy. Tried the HP but reverted to the red.

Well at least you tried @galenkp. Can't say fairer than that! 😂

Love Boscastle... the cobweb inn is fab

Is that the one by the water @riverflows or the one on the opposite side of the road opposite the Spar shop? 😊

Across from t'Spar...

Ah. We'e not been in that one @riverflows. Will give it a go next time we visit. Thanks for the tip! 😁

Yeah those type of narrow roads are all over the place once you get out of the cities/off major routes. I live not far from London and if I go for a walk there are narrow lanes that can't accommodate tmtwo cars on the tarmac. Though the ones in Cornwall and West Country tend to have the worst walls and hedges making passing very difficult.

Especially with austerity when the council can't afford to mow

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